The Oldest New Cars on Sale Today

• Most vehicles are redesigned every five to six years.
• Some buck the trend and stay on the market a little longer than usual.
• These are all the oldest new cars you can buy.
• All are at least a decade old.

To stay competitive, most mainstream vehicles are fully redesigned every five to six years. There are exceptions, of course. Low-volume luxury vehicles (such as the previous-generation Rolls-Royce Phantom) and supercars like the Lamborghini Huracán typically have to live on for many years to spread around the initial research and development costs.

But then there are mainstream vehicles that stay on the market well past their prime. For one reason or another — usually because the underlying platform hasn't advanced — there are a number of vehicles that you can buy brand-new from a dealership that date back a decade or more. And here they are: all the vehicles that have double-digit birthdays this year.

Maserati Quattroporte — redesigned for 2013

Maserati's parent company, Stellantis, hasn't been great at keeping all of its products up to date — as we'll see later — with Maser's luxury flagship sedan, the Quattroporte, dating back to the 2013 model year. The Quattroporte gets a slight pass because it is the first vehicle built on a new platform that eventually underpinned the smaller Ghibli sedan (which also nearly made this list) and Levante SUV. Maserati has also been busy as of late with the awesome MC20 and GranTurismo coupes, along with the new entry-level Grecale. But the Quattroporte's bland styling isn't winning any design awards, and the cabin has materials that are less impressive than what's in most German rivals at half the price.

Karma GS-6/Karma Revero/Fisker Karma — new for 2012

After striking gold with the BMW Z8 and Aston Martin V8 Vantage, automotive designer Henrik Fisker struck out on his own to create Fisker Automotive. The first and only car it produced — the Fisker Karma — was a plug-in hybrid that debuted in 2012. The company folded a year later, with the tooling for the Karma sold to a Chinese conglomerate. The Fisker Karma was reimagined as the Karma Revero a few years later, and then as the Karma GS-6 relatively recently. Over the last decade, a BMW turbocharged three-cylinder replaced the old GM turbocharged-four, but otherwise, the name has changed more than any other aspect of the car.

Tesla Model S — new for 2012

We contend that the first vehicle that Tesla built in-house — the Model S — was the best it ever produced. It didn't have silly design choices like the Model X's gullwing doors or hard seatbacks, and early versions even had buttons on the steering wheel and a transmission selector stalk. Elon would eventually make it less user-friendly by eliminating almost all physical controls and switching to a stupefying yoke-style steering wheel (which was eventually partially walked back), but it was once close to perfect. And newer models have superior range, better performance and more robust entertainment features than the older ones. Rumors have persisted of a redesigned Model S, but to date, there has never been a second generation of any Tesla vehicle.

Chrysler 300/Dodge Charger — redesigned for 2011

A list of the oldest cars on sale today wouldn't be complete without the Chrysler 300 and Dodge Charger large sedans. These twins were last redesigned in 2011, and constant updates to the styling, tech and powertrain have turned this into a real Ship of Thesus head-scratcher. The Charger gets more of parent Stellantis' attention and is subject to more frequent enhancements, culminating in this year's run of Last Call models. That's right, the Charger (and 300) as we know them will be sent to the great oil field in the sky at the end of 2023. The Charger is due to be replaced by an all-new electric muscle car next year.

Dodge Durango — redesigned for 2011

Stellantis' apathy toward its performance brand is personified by the Dodge Durango, which was also fully redesigned in 2011 and has been kept on life support ever since. It used to occupy a unique space in the Stellantis lineup as the only three-row crossover in the lineup, but the advent of the Jeep Grand Cherokee L has made the much older Durango obsolete. The bonkers 710-horsepower SRT Hellcat trim returns for 2023, but even the screaming V8 isn't enough to drown out the creaks and groans from the ancient platform.

Infiniti QX80 — redesigned for 2011

The Infiniti QX80 nameplate was first used in 2014, but it was otherwise exactly the same as the QX56 that debuted in 2011. This large truck-based luxury SUV has gotten more than a few face-lifts in the intervening years, upgrading the eyesore styling from "Triple Sell" to "Don't Buy." But the fact remains that the QX80 is a terrifically dated people-hauler. It feels like the big lug that it is, especially on curvy roads, and the sole powertrain is a thirsty V8 that makes less power than most rivals. Almost any other three-row SUV will better suit your needs.

Mitsubishi Outlander Sport — redesigned for 2011

While the Mitsubishi Mirage narrowly avoided making this list (it was introduced for 2014 and thus just misses our cutoff), its larger brother, the Outlander Sport, does earn the honors. We actually had a 2011 Outlander Sport SE as part of our long-term test fleet when it was brand-new, and our impressions at the time were pretty positive. But these days, the Outlander Sport is outclassed by every other pint-sized SUV on the market. Really — it's dead last in the 18th spot in our ranking of X-Small SUVs. Unless someone is paying you to drive an Outlander Sport as some sort of psychology experiment, steer clear.

Lexus GX 460 — redesigned for 2010

The CD player in front of the shifter says it all — this Lexus is old. The Lexus GX 460 is a truck-based midsize SUV that's better at climbing over rocks than many crossover rivals thanks to its standard four-wheel drive, trick suspension (called KDSS) and lockable center differential. But if you aren't traversing trails on the way to your chalet, however, there's simply no reason to consider the GX over any other midsize SUV. Thankfully, a fully redesigned GX with all-new everything is coming early next year.

Toyota 4Runner — redesigned for 2010

The Toyota 4Runner is mechanically related to the Lexus GX 460, so it's no surprise to see both of these off-road-centric SUVs keeping each other company on this list. This bruiser gets our nod in a comparison between the two due to its lower price and shockingly high resale value — it's not uncommon to see lightly used 4Runners retailing for almost the same price as new ones. While there have been no announcements yet, a new GX on the horizon has us hoping that a new 4Runner will also be available before too long.

Nissan GT-R — new for 2009

When it was first launched in 2009, the Nissan GT-R cost about $70,000 and squeezed 473 horsepower out of its twin-turbo 3.8-liter V6. Things have and haven't changed in AD 2023 — that same V6 still lies underhood but now produces 565 hp (up to 600 hp in the Nismo), with the price tag now starting at an eye-watering $120,000. And while some found the first GT-Rs to be cold and alienating compared to their contemporaries, the rest of the field has become so digitized that today's GT-R feels tactile and engaging in comparison. We wouldn't necessarily buy one new, mind you, but the GT-R has aged a bit more gracefully than others on this list.

Ram 1500 Classic — redesigned for 2009

The new Ram 1500 is our second-favorite full-size pickup, but not everyone can afford one. What if you have to stick to a tight budget for your new workhorse? Enter the Ram 1500 Classic, which is actually a different name for the previous-generation Ram 1500 that debuted in 2009. Notable for its rear coil-spring suspension, this Ram 1500 had a more comfortable ride than its rivals at the time, and the Uconnect infotainment system was second to none. There's no hiding its ancient bones these days, but the 1500 Classic remains a solid pick if you don't need anything fancy and don't want to go used.

Dodge Challenger — new for 2008

People reacted so strongly to the modern interpretation of the Challenger that Dodge has only needed to update the big coupe periodically since its introduction in 2008. Over the years, the Challenger has gotten a few refreshes to make the exterior less rounded and more sinister and enhanced the interior so it doesn't look so much like a big, plasticky mess. Power is also way up these days; early Challengers topped out at 425 horsepower; the new Demon 170 makes up to 1,025 hp on ethanol race fuel. Even though it's easily outclassed on a handling circuit by the Ford Mustang and Chevrolet Camaro, the Challenger still exudes a certain charm that's impossible to ignore.

Chevrolet Express/GMC Savana — new for 1996

We give Stellantis a lot of guff for extending vehicle lifespans far beyond the sell-by date, but even it has to be impressed by the longevity of the Chevrolet Express and GMC Savana work vans. If you've ever caught an airport shuttle, or gone on a work trip where your employer was particularly passive-aggressive, you've probably ridden in one of these bad boys. On the upside, these are the last of the truck-based work vans and have higher tow ratings than newer vans like the Ford Transit and Mercedes-Benz Sprinter. And their long tenures means that you should have no problem finding replacement parts when things break. But the drawbacks are too numerous to list, though the lack of rear head restraints deserves a special mention.

Edmunds says

Many of these vehicles have been left to wither on the vine, with only a few having a clear succession plan. Here's to hoping that their manufacturers update them soon, especially the ones that command a premium price tag.